Skipper Moises Henriques took advantage of a depleted Western Australia bowling attack when quick Matt Kelly suffered a pectoral muscle injury during New South Wales’ comeback on day two of their Sheffield Shield clash in Perth.
In response to WA’s first innings score of 256, NSW faced trouble at 106 for 5 on a challenging WACA surface. However, Henriques played a crucial role, scoring 95 off 210 balls, leading NSW to finish the day trailing by just 12 runs with three wickets in hand.
Kelly’s injury limited WA’s bowling options, with Joel Paris and Corey Rocchiccioli stepping up to claim three wickets each. Kelly is unlikely to bowl again in the match, further restricting WA’s choices without allrounders Cameron Green and Aaron Hardie, who are playing in the West Indies ODI series.
Tensions rose as WA appealed for obstructing the field, but the umpires decided in favor of NSW’s Chris Green, who defended himself against the ball thrown by Stobo.
Despite Sam Whiteman’s optimism about WA’s position after his century on day one, Henriques’ resilience kept the match evenly poised. The return of Kelly, though much anticipated, was cut short as Paris and Kelly bowled impressively.
Paris made a significant impact, taking crucial wickets, and Stobo maintained pressure with four consecutive maidens. NSW struggled early in their innings, but Henriques, along with Ollie Davies and Jack Edwards, managed to stabilize the situation.
Rocchiccioli’s bowling broke through, but Henriques held firm until late in the day, ensuring the match remains finely balanced.
